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Transcript

Mamdouh Habib reunites with family

PM - Friday, 28 January , 2005 17:38:00

Reporter: Michael Vincent

TANYA NOLAN: Returning to our lead story on the arrival of Mamdouh Habib from Guantanamo Bay to Sydney this afternoon, a few minutes ago Mr Habib's sister Sally spoke to her brother, and she's speaking here to Michael Vincent.

SALLY HABIB: He's very tired… very, very tired.

MICHAEL VINCENT: What did it feel like to speak to him after so long?

SALLY HABIB: I just cried, I couldn't, you know (inaudible), and I just want to see him and touch him and hug him and, you know, I'm so excited. But I know he need a rest, and he's happy, he's happy now. And I'm happy too, all my family is happy.

MICHAEL VINCENT: He's gone to his family home, then, has he?

SALLY HABIB: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's with family right now. Yeah. All together.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How did they sound when you talked to them on the phone?

SALLY HABIB: Oh, he's very happy, everybody's happy, very excited, and unbelievable. Unbelievable. It's really unbelievable. I don't believe it. If I don't see him with my own eyes I don't believe it.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How soon do you expect to see him?

SALLY HABIB: I'll be seeing him tonight.

MICHAEL VINCENT: After you've finished work?

SALLY HABIB: Yep.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Are you going to take the whole family around?

SALLY HABIB: Of course. My daughter and my husband, they love to see him too. So excited, especially my daughter, she's so excited to see him.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How do you think he… You said he sounded tired on the phone. He obviously, I guess, was glad to be back in Australia. Did he tell you anything at all about his trip back from Guantanamo Bay?

SALLY HABIB: No, nothing. I don't even… I don't ask him about anything like that, and I don't plan to ask him about nothing now. He just coming home, and he been long time and I couldn't, you know?

For God's sake he's the guy been four years away for the family, and who knows what's happened to him all this time. And just… I don't even mention anything like that. When I see him too, I don't mention nothing, just welcome home and that's it.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Did he sound like your brother, the same person you knew before he left Australia?

SALLY HABIB: I don't know, because I don't talk to him much, you know, just hear his voice, and that's it. He's… I don't know.

MICHAEL VINCENT: You didn't talk to him very long on the telephone?

SALLY HABIB: No, no, no.

MICHAEL VINCENT: But it was enough?

SALLY HABIB: That's it, yeah, enough just to see he's still alive and he's arrived and he's here. He's here.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How did he feel that his other brother's come from overseas to meet him on his return?

MICHAEL VINCENT: Oh, you have a brother and a sister coming from overseas?

SALLY HABIB: Yeah, yeah.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How did he respond to that?

SALLY HABIB: Oh, he's excited, he don't believe they are coming especially to see him. He's just… you know, I don't have any words to explain, you know, how we feel right now. I feel like I'm on top of the world. Like I win Lotto with a couple of billion, not million, couple of billion dollars.

MICHAEL VINCENT: How long do you think you'll stay at your brother's house tonight?

SALLY HABIB: Until he kick me out. (Laughs). Until he tell me to go home. Until, you know, I let him, for a couple of hours until he's… left him to be rested, you know? But we have a lot to catch up.